New Delhi, Oct 14 — Street vendors in Janpath Market and adjoining commercial areas of the national capital on Wednesday said that they are facing heavy losses due to the protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that road closures and market shutdowns on October 10 and 11 severely disrupted customer footfall during the crucial festive shopping season.
They also said that the decision to change the protest site was welcome, because the businesses were being affected badly.
Speaking to IANS, a vendor, Radha Sundar said, “ The business is running at a loss. We brought products for the Garba season, but due to the protests, we are facing heavy losses. They should protest during the summer- during May and June. This season is for work; they(protestors) should understand this.”
“No one should be troubled during festive seasons, ” she added.
Sundar said, “First it was the Cockroaches, then some other minister. This happened three or four times in the month. Saturday and Sunday were most important for business. Both days our shops were closed due to the protests.”
She added that she was selling the products at a loss because if the items don’t get sold at the right time, they won’t be sold for the entire year and thus will be ruined.
“They have a lot of money in the banks; that is why they have the privilege to get on the streets; it's the less privileged who are suffering due to the protests,” Radha Sundar added.
Another vendor said the protests ruined all of Connaught Place. Common people were affected. Small vendors faced big losses because their shops were closed.
“The entire business has been halted. I have a glasses shop and a garments shop. All were closed due to the protests,” he said.
"Jantar Mantar is nearby; all the main places are nearby. This is wrong; they should not be allowed here. I am relieved that the protestors left," he added.
Another vendor, Vinod Sharma, said that not just the shop owners, but the entire city was affected. “If all of Delhi is closed, how will the customer come to the shop?”
He said, “ Janpath Market, Pallika Bazaar, and Connaught Place were all affected. Protesters can exercise their political right, but it should not hamper the general public.”
“Protesting is their constitutional right, but they should not harm the general public. The way they are going about it is harming the masses, rather than benefiting them.,” he added.
He said, “I don’t know if there was vote theft; I am sure my vote was not stolen.”
Another vendor said, “Those who are creating havoc are not arrested, but the common people are getting harassed.”
The vendor added that customer footfall has reduced by 90%. He also said that it was the right decision to change the protest site to Burari ground and Ramleela Maidan.
Another one said, “Changing the protest site was the right decision because this is a market area and it is expected to be crowded.”
A shopkeeper named Saqir Abbas said, “The shops opened after three days; only two pieces were sold. What should we sell, and how do we feed the children?
Abbas said that the opposition’s agenda is not his priority but his livelihood was, and feeding his children is. He added that the step to change the protest sites should have been taken earlier.
On October 12, Jantar Mantar was de-notified as the "designated" protesting site. Three new locations that were allotted in Delhi are Ramlila Ground, Burari Ground and East Delhi's CBD Ground. The move came against the backdrop of the protests in the national capital against the Election Commission of India (ECI).